Book Summary
Nick, a smart boy who likes to cause a
little bit of trouble now and then, is going into the fifth grade, and he’s
heard a lot about his new teacher, Mrs. Granger. He’s heard she can be strict
and a little tough, so Nick doesn’t know what to expect. He decides to test Mrs.
Granger, but it only ends up getting him an extra homework assignment that
night, which is to make a presentation to the class about where words come
from. This turns out to only be the beginning of a turbulent relationship
between Nick and Mrs. Granger. Spurred by a comment made by Mrs. Granger in
class after Nick’s presentation, Nick tries an experiement, and he makes up a
new word for an everyday object: a pen. He calls it a frindle.
The word sounds weird, but it catches on
with the other students in school, who start calling pens frindles too. Mrs.
Granger is not amused by Nick’s inventiveness, though. She actually gets quite
irritated at Nick and the other students for their lack of respect for the
English language, and she creates a “no frindle rule” school-wide. The rule
does not work to stop kids from using the word, though; kids just continue to
use it more, which causes many students to serve detention after school. This
event attracts attention from the local newspaper, and it even spreads to
national news stations, and then it starts to spread around the world. Nicks
ends up being interviewed on television with his family about the matter—he
never knew his small experiment would become such a big deal.
After a while, Nick starts to struggle
with all the attention and commotion around the word “frindle.” He starts to
worry about what will happen if he continues to act on his unique and creative
ideas—will something like “frindle” spin out of control again? It turns out,
though, that the word “frindle” worked in Nick’s favor in the end: he became
rich from the word, “frindle” was put in the dictionary, and it turns out that
Mrs. Granger was rooting for Nick and his word all along.
APA Reference of Book
Clements, A. (1996). Frindle. New York, NY: Simon &
Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Impressions
This book was
a very enjoyable read to me personally. It seems this book is accessible to a
wide group of youth—it easily be enjoyed by boys and girls alike. Nick is a
likeable character who is also authentic and believable. Nick is a good, smart
kid, but he also causes trouble from time to time and defies authority
occasionally, and he has flaws like anyone else. I think kids would be able to
easily relate to a character like Nick, who ultimately struggles with feelings
of guilt and regret regarding the “frindle” incident and all of the commotion
it caused. Guilt is something most kids struggle with as they grow up and learn
from their mistakes, so Nick’s experience, although it is unique and likely not
exactly replicated by readers, is essentially accessible and relatable. But
Nick is inspiring too, ultimately encouraging child readers to be bold,
creative, and smart. Nick may not be well-behaved most of the time (how many
kids really are?) but he succeeds in life, capitalizes on his strengths, and he
see how his great ideas end up paying off. He even demonstrates how he gave
back to those who helped me achieve his accomplishments—namely, Mrs. Granger.
The
characterization of Mrs. Granger adds to the story as well because she is also
a real and authentic character. She is not flat—she is not presented as all
mean or as all nice either. She is a tough teacher who takes her job seriously
but who genuinely cares about her students and their education. Other adults
are likewise presented as authentic and complex characters, which makes the
story more interesting and more believable (including his parents and the
principle). Plus, there is humor throughout the story too that makes it
entertaining and enjoyable. Just the way Nick tries to trick and outsmart his
teachers is a laugh, and I think it will win kids over.
Overall, I
really liked this story. The basis of the plot is somewhat unique and
incredible, but still believable and plausible. The characters are round and
complex, and we see Nick in particular go through a wide range of emotions.
Adults are also portrayed as real characters with their own complexities. Humor
is offered throughout to get readers laughing, but there is also an inspiring
ending that makes me tear up at the end. Nick experiences a range of emotions
in this story, and I did too. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to
both young and old readers.
Professional Review
According to a
review on the website for Kirkus Reviews (1996):
Nicholas is a bright boy who likes to make trouble
at school, creatively. When he decides to torment his fifth-grade English
teacher, Mrs. Granger (who is just as smart as he is), by getting everyone in
the class to replace the word "pen'' with "frindle,'' he unleashes a
series of events that rapidly spins out of control. If there's any justice in
the world, Clements (Temple Cat, 1995, etc.) may have something of a classic on
his hands. By turns amusing and adroit, this first novel is also utterly
satisfying. The chess like sparring between the gifted Nicholas and his crafty
teacher is enthralling, while Mrs. Granger is that rarest of the breed: a
teacher the children fear and complain about for the school year, and love and
respect forever after. With comically realistic black-and-white illustrations
by Selznick (The Robot King, 1995, etc.), this is a captivating tale--one to
press upon children, and one they'll be passing among themselves. (para. 1)
Library
Uses
I think this book has a lot of potential to be used in a
classroom setting because it could serve as a great introduction to a lesson
about where words come from and how words change over time. In addition, the
fact that this book takes place mostly in a school setting makes it somewhat
easier to read in a school setting—the story’s setting could compliment the
school setting. Thus, a school librarian can use this book to enter an
elementary classroom with a language arts lesson about words. The school
librarian could have the students read the book on their own, with the
librarian reading some portions of the book aloud. An assignment could be given
to the students to pick one word out of the dictionary and research where it
originated. Then the librarian can invite a discussion with the students about
what words they would want to invent. The students could even be challenged to
engage in a fun activity where they try to use their new, invented word for a
whole day, and they can report back about what sort of responses they received
or how well it worked.
In a public library setting, I think this book could serve as
an inspiration for a contest for children. The book could be put on display in
the children’s section, and promotional information would inform library
patrons that they can make up their own word to enter into the Frindle contest.
Children can only enter one word, but it can be any made-up word they want. With
staff input, 10 finalists can be chosen, and library patrons would be able to
vote on the 10 finalist to pick their favorite word. The winner of the contest
would win a prize, such as a signed copy of the book Frindle by Andrew Clements, some additional books, a new
dictionary, and possibly even some nice, new pens.
References
[Review of the book Frindle,
by A. Clements]. (1996, July 1). Kirkus
Reviews.
Retrieved from www.kirkusreviews.com
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